První přistání na Měsíci po 37 letech (The first landing on the Moon after 37 years)

Today, the 1st of December 2013 around 17:30 (Greenwich time), should launch rocket CZ – 3B with lunar probe Chang’e-3 on the board. On 6th of December, it should arrive in orbit of our natural satellite, and on 16th December try to land.

If everything will go smoothly, it will be the first landing of man-made ​​machine after 37 years (the last probe, which had landed here, was Luna 24 in 1976 ). China will also become only the third country (after the USSR and the USA ), which carried out the landing on the Moon.

The rocket starts its journey to the Moon from the spaceport Xichang in Sichuan province in southern China. Except the Chang’e-3, there will be also mobile robot called Yutu (jade rabbit, who accompanied the Chang’e – goddess of the Moon – according to Chinese folklore) . Its name was chosen in a public poll.

Mobilní robot Jü-tchu
(americaspace.com)

The landing site of Chang’e-3 is Laplace A crater, which is about 8 km (5 miles) in diameter. Long time ago, at its inception, material from the bowels of the Moon, was ejected to the edges of present crater.

Chang’e -3, equipped with 4 cameras, will be on the Moon for about 3 months. At this time, it will examine the crater rim and analyze the material that originated deep below the surface. This should learn more about the history and composition of the Moon .

For the firs time

Luna 9
(users.skynet.be)

The first spacecraft, which had ever landed on the Moon, was Luna 9. It had slightly landed on 3rd February 1966 18:45 UTC in the Oceanus Procellarum. It was carried by carrier rocket R7/Molnija from the Baikonur spaceport. Its total weight was about 1580 kg. The whole mission was controlled by the Soviet Union.
Thanks to this mission, it was finally confirmed that it is possible to land on the Moon.

Sources:
space.com, kosmonaut.cz